Autopsy shows Pittsburgh man who waited 30 hours for help during snow storm died naturally

Autopsy: Snowbound Pittsburgh man died naturally

PITTSBURGH — A medical examiner says final autopsy results show a Pittsburgh man who waited 30 hours for medics during a February snowstorm died of natural causes.

Alan Perer is the attorney for 50-year-old Curtis Mitchell’s family. He says the results prove Mitchell could have lived had he gotten help sooner.

One city paramedic was fired and three others were suspended after Mitchell and his girlfriend called 911 10 times seeking help for his abdominal pain.

Medics couldn’t reach Mitchell’s home during the storm Feb. 5-6 and asked him to walk to them instead.

Allegheny County Medical Examiner Karl Williams says toxicology tests helped confirm that a poor blood supply caused Mitchell’s intestines to swell. But he died of heart disease complicated by a fatty liver.

Information from: Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, pghtrib.com